Archive for the ‘Reflections’ category
A-cuss-tomed to Profanity
By Sabeen Mansoori There is a path that I walk on almost every day. It is a curved, narrow strip of concrete between a patch of lush woods and a winding road. In the early morning when it is deserted, it is easy to step on it and get lost in thought. There is the [...]
Eyes on the Prize
By Shahraiz Tabassam Throughout our lives, most of what we do is driven by the thought of consequence. More specifically, the benefits that something might bring about for us or the troubles it might repel. We do whatever we do, with the purpose of seeking some form of goodness in it. And yet, no matter [...]
Finding My Syrian-American Identity
By Hajar Abdul-Rahim My father always said, “You don’t understand the price of freedom.” But I do know and understand the price of being robbed of my right to grow up around grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I know the price of growing up nation-less; the price of having no national identity; the cost of not [...]
The Satisfaction of an iPhone
By Deena Majeed You have owned an iPhone 4 since it came out. You accessorized it with different covers, a wall-charger, and even a car-charger. Then in October 2011, the iPhone 4S emerges. Suddenly, you want the new iPhone, you need the new iPhone, you envision the new iPhone in your hands. So you upgrade, [...]
Slippers for Sale
She quietly slipped onto the train, and if our eyes hadn’t met, I wouldn’t have noticed the tears at all. They hung, in her eyes, waiting for any moment to pour forth. I glanced down at her feet and noticed they were bare, her slippers in her hands. In her arms was a baby, wrapped [...]
The Never-Ending Story
By Abid Mohammed A man once complained to the Prophet ﷺ (peace and blessings be upon him) that he had a hard heart. The Prophet ﷺ replied, “If you want your heart to soften, (affectionately) rub the orphan’s head (with your hand) and feed the needy.” [narrated by Ibn Abi Dunya] For the entire week, [...]
The Cancer Patient
By Robin Imran Mahmud I am currently interning at a hospital in my community. My role is to help the nurses look after their patients’ needs. My tasks include changing beds, feeding patients, discharging patients, and helping nurses clean the bodies of patients who are in the last stages of their lives. One day as I was checking on patients [...]
Adventures of a Revert in the South
By Douglas Kelly As a relatively recent revert to Islam, I still consider myself in the infancy of my deen (religion), and therefore look at the world with a very idealistic eye. An eye which, like an infant, may not know much, but knows hot from cold, wet from dry, loud from quiet and clean [...]
Synced: Hajj 2011
In late September, my life began to smear. A horrid pace began to take its toll. Ramadan had just concluded and I was off to Malaysia to film 26 episodes of Reflections for T.V. al-Hijrah (to be done in 5 days), my wife’s visa status still hung in the balance, my financial situation was “code [...]
The Purpose of this Life in Light of the Qur’an
by Ahsan Shah Recently, a very close member of my family died. While the dead body lay inside one of the rooms of my house, two thoughts continuously went through my mind. The body reminded me that one day, I would be lying in the same manner, motionless, and my close ones would be looking [...]
My Mosque, My Identity, My Anchor
“Culture shock” is how I always describe the sudden onslaught of cultural varieties, religious peculiarities and political ambiguities that I encountered when I first came to North America at the age of 18. It was a rush of overwhelming information that threw my curious mind into a whirlwind of conflicting ideologies. Derailed and confused, I [...]
It’s Too Late Yesterday
By Alaa Suliman A few weeks ago, a very dear local community leader announced that he is leaving the area and will be moving to another state. Not only was he someone who our community needed and benefited from, he was a mentor to me, a teacher and an incredible supporter. He was someone I [...]
God’s Remembrance
Reflections from Imam Ibn al-Qayyim and Imam al-‘Ayni Mu`adh bin Jabal once said, “No action saves a person from God’s punishment like remembering Him.” Ibn al-Qayyim commented on this, “Meaning: Constant remembrance is a means of God’s constant love. Remembering Him is to the heart, what water is to a seed. Nay; what water is [...]
Jannah Points
I came into class one morning, excited to take my young students to the computer lab. “It’s computer lab day!” I announced. Just as I had expected, the whole class was excited for change and ready to take the trip down the hall. Well, everyone except one student. He looked at me from behind his [...]
The Wells of Zamzam Nourish the Pilgrim’s Soul
by Wadud Hassan [Wadud Hassan is the Secondary School and Special Programs Manager at Furqaan Academy Collin County. He can be reached at whassan[at]furqaan.org] By the mercy of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), my family and I were very fortunate to perform Hajj (the pilgrimage to Makkah) last year. We had a very [...]
Going Back
It creeps up on you, sometimes—knowing that you’ve changed. You didn’t realize, you still don’t know, how it happened. And the scary thing is that this change was a fundamental part of you. It was all of who you thought you were. It was your destination and your journey. But you lost it. Now, you [...]
Making Rain
by Shahraiz Tabassam As I walked out onto the porch, I found Rizma strolling in the front lawn, surveying the plants that surrounded her. She looked on, and I could tell that she had already been doing this for some time now and, by the looks of it, was clearly bored. It was the start [...]
Careless Silence
by Ahmed Zaafran If you have ever been involved or seen an altercation between Egyptians, it happens to be one of the most intense, yet hilarious moments you’ll see. Here’s the situation: Two Egyptian men are involved in a scuffle about something. One shoves the other, both are screaming, and sandals are in hand. Intense. [...]
The Only Shelter in the Storm
It’s never easy to stand when the storm hits. As soon as it starts raining, lightning shortly follows. Dark clouds replace the sun and all you can see are the waves of an ocean, once calm, surrounding you. No longer able to find your way, you reach out for help. You begin by calling the [...]
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